“She will get up. She just needs a little rest, ”Vlas assures. Silly! The North does not tolerate weakness, it only hits the wounds, causing even more pain.

Somewhere in the distance the wolves howl. Their song penetrates right into my heart, causing an aching coldness in my soul. Nearby, the blizzard still rings, and tall pine trees rustle. There is a creak of thick trunks of coniferous trees growing on the peninsula. Snow falls...

When I'm already losing hope, Shiyana opens her eyes, which look like ice crystals, and looks at me with some kind of hidden despair. She hardly lifts her heavy body from the soft feather bed...